SAN MATEO MILPAS ALTAS – 17K

Our San Mateo Milpas Altas running tour begins in the central park, surrounded by the municipal building, the Palacio de los Capitanes Generales and the Cathedral. We will head west, on the outskirts of the colonial city on the cobblestone streets. In this first stretch, we will go through the main streets and avenues of the city, where you will find restaurants, high-end hotels, museums, galleries, clothing stores, handicrafts, typical sweets, churches, markets, travel agencies, bars, and government offices. We will pass by these commercial buildings until we reach our first town, Santa Inés.

Ascent to San Mateo Milpas Altas

Next, and in the middle of exuberant nature, we will find San Juan Gascón and San Mateo Milpas Altas. We will ascend a steep slope between these two points that goes from 1,538 to reach 2,128 meters. Don’t worry; you don’t need to be a professional climber to make it. We will go slowly, on a paved road, taking photos of the beautiful landscapes.

Almost at the top, we will find the El Hato village. Here we can take a break, some water and lots of pictures. We will continue our journey to the Cerro de la Cruz on a dirt road. With a bit of elevation gain, we’ll reach the viewpoint to appreciate a lovely view of the colonial city of Antigua Guatemala.

In each town on our tour, we will drink some water, take a break, and breathe fresh air. As you can see in the photos, this tour has cobblestone streets, asphalt and dirt roads, so it has a little bit of everything. The general recommendations are to wear trail running or all-terrain shoes, apply sunscreen, and wear a cap.